Dialogue or Monologue?

By Pat

One of the ways in which we get to know other people is to listen to them. In fact, being a good listener is crucial in any relationship, and although I am quite the talker, I do try to be a good listener. And yet, the one I fail at the most in that area is in my relationship with God. I find inactivity difficult. And so, I find that what I do is talk AT God, not WITH God. It's no wonder I get frustrated when God's answers are sometimes so unclear to me. I am faithful in prayers, but I am realizing that me time with God should be a dialogue, not a monologue. I have no trouble at all talking TO God, but I rarely sit still long enough to hear FROM God.

Jesus knew that in order to be in a right relationship with God, He had to listen for him. When He prayed, he put all other things away and made listening a part of the process. He got away, found a quiet place, and had a dialogue with the Father. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35). Now, although the scripture doesn't say so, I feel quite confident that Jesus didn't just make these prayers a one-way communication. He needed to hear from God, and He made sure he was in a position to do so.

God, to the best of my knowledge, does not text message, nor does He send emails. He speaks directly to us, in whatever way He chooses, and it's up to us to be alert for whatever God has to say to us. Maybe instead of presenting God with my long, rambling prayers, I should be more like Jesus...stop waiting for a text message that's not going to come, and say, "God, what do you have to tell me?" instead of, "Lord, hear my prayer!" Perhaps I would have a better dialogue if I would shorten my monologue.  

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

Listening For God

By Pat

Have you ever set out to perform a task, whether great or small, only to have it result in failure? I have, more times than I care to remember, and usually it was because I didn't seek God's guidance, or if I did, I didn't wait long enough to hear God's instructions. Sometimes I plowed ahead, knowing that even if I was not successful, God could fix what I had messed up or left incomplete.

Sometimes in setting about the task of serving God, I leave Him out of the equation too much. This is also true of important decisions that I have had to make. So many times I have trusted in my own limited knowledge, or acted on emotion too quickly, and have made decisions I have regretted. I lack the patience and discipline that I need, and I miss out on the blessing of knowing I have done exactly what God would have me do. I know that He knows best, and yet I plow ahead...and sometimes regret it.

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